Pee-Wee’s Place, on Anderson
Road in Crescent Springs, is
known for their “best-in-town”
burgers and family atmosphere.

3, 2011

rcoomer@nky.com

SK on the march

Students who are part of
the Simon Kenton High School
marching band in
Independence will have a busy
spring.
The group of student
musicians will take part in a
Walt Disney World parade and
be part of the festivities for the
Kentucky Derby.
Read more about the
students and group.
SCHOOLS, A4

Reserve shelters

Kenton County Parks and
Recreation will begin
accepting reservations for the
upcoming outdoor season at
7:30 a.m., Monday, Feb. 7 for
all shelterhouses in the parks
maintained by Kenton County
Fiscal Court, including those
located in Lincoln Ridge,
Middleton-Mills, Pioneer, and
Richardson Road parks.
Reservations can be made
weekdays during regular
business hours, between 7:30
a.m. and 4 p.m.
Reservations are $65 to
$80 or, with a $150 nonrefundable fee, a person may
reserve a shelterhouse for up
to one year in advance.
For specific shelterhouse
current availability, call 859525-7529.

Kenton County Judge-executive Steve Arlinghaus said a Jan.
26 discussion with the Boone and
Campbell county judge-executives
was the first “full-fledged” meeting concerning a regional 911 dispatch system.
“I think the meeting was very
positive. All three judges are clearly interested in moving forward
with 911 efforts,” Arlinghaus said.
The open-discussion meeting
went on for about an hour and a half,
Arlinghaus said, calling the meeting
very “preliminary” and adding
“there’s still a lot to be learned about
technical issues and data.”
Eventually, all three judges
plan to put together concrete
information to present to interested parties, including cities and
their fire, EMS and police departments.

“We want to
bring all the
players to the
table as soon as
possible,”
Arlinghaus said.
The
judgeexecutives discussed how to
Arlinghaus
best handle 911
dispatching in three counties, Campbell County Judge-executive Steve
Pendery said, adding it was the first
of many meetings on the subject.
With an unfunded federally
mandated reduction in radio signal bandwidth termed “narrow
banding,” agencies have to buy
new radios, Pendery said.
Dale Edmondson, director of
Campbell County Consolidated
Dispatch Center in Newport, was
brought in as an unofficial adviser
during the judges’ first meeting, in
part because he’s already been
involved with consolidation of

911 services.
Edmondson said upcoming
equipment purchases are also
what led Fort Thomas, Newport
and Campbell County to start
working to consolidate into one
dispatch agency in 1999, after
there had already been more than
10 years of conversation.
Emergency service agencies
are already taking a hard look at
their equipment purchases, and
it’s worth a look to consider ways
to eliminate some of those purchases by sharing, he said.
“Some of those things are
going to be expensive for everybody, and probably as a region
those things would probably be
less of an impact if we work
together,” Edmondson said.
Increasing and bettering the
delivery of services is a common
theme of regular meetings of the
three judge-executives, said
Boone County Judge-executive

Gary Moore.
Moore said 911 dispatching
consolidation was an issue he
talked to voters about during his
re-election campaign.
It will be important to involve
the public in discussions on the
issue, but even more so is to
engage the public safety community and involve first responders
in the conversation, he said.
“The outcome may be that it’s
not the thing to do, but I think we
owe to our residents in these challenging financial times to evaluate
it,” Moore said.
Arlinghaus hopes the judges
will have another regional dispatch conversation in three to four
weeks.
There are five 911 dispatch
systems in Northern Kentucky:
Kenton County, Boone County,
Campbell County, Covington and
Erlanger.
Reporter Chris Mayhew contributed

Funds sought for flood management
By Regan Coomer
rcoomer@nky.com

The Kenton County Conservation District applied for a $3.6 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant Jan.
28 that would allow for the purchase of a floodplain along
Banklick Creek.
Flooding has occurred as a
result of Banklick Creek since the
19th Century, but the problem
became more acute in the ’70s
and has plagued homeowners
ever since, said Conservation District Board Member Marc Hult.
If FEMA accepts the application
for 45 acres of Kenton County
floodplain, FEMA will be responsible for 75 percent of the project, or
$2.7 million, and the state and
Kenton County would split the
remainder, about $478,000.
Once the grant is officially
approved by FEMA, the county

See FLOOD on page A2

FILE PHOTO

A flash flood of Banklick Creek covers the soccer fields at Pioneer Park, Covington, in 2005.

Looking for something to do
on Valentine’s Day? Why not
look local with this list of
events for singles, families,
and couples going on in
Kenton County.
LIFE, B1

To place an ad, call 283-7290.

Chic Street owner Katherine
Colbert brings more than 25 years
of experience in the New York City
and Boston fashion industries to
Northern Kentucky at her two
new consignment shop locations.
Before moving to Northern
Kentucky, Colbert worked in New
York City’s garment district and
ran a multi-million dollar retail
store in Boston.
Colbert opened the first Chic
Street location at 5034 Old Taylor
Mill Road in Taylor Mill in November; the second location of Chic
Street, at 2456 Anderson Road,
just opened in Crescent Springs in
late January.
“You have to understand:
Fashion is unique to each person.
It’s a blueprint of who we are and

how we express ourselves - it’s
not about what comes out, it’s
about how you wear it,” Colbert
explained.
Shopping consignment allows
fashion conscious men and
women to wear one-of-a-kind
pieces at a discounted price, said
Colbert’s daughter Brittney Kane,
Chic Street manager.
“This is for people who don’t
have disposable incomes that still
want to look presentable and have
designer clothes,” Kane said.
In addition to carrying gentlyused designer clothing, both Chic
Street locations also carry shoes,
jewelry, bags, accessories, furnishings and vintage pieces.
At the Taylor Mill location,
shoppers can step through French
doors between Chic Street and
Altiora Coffee to grab a quick pickme-up before or after shopping at

the consignment store.
“It’s very unique and really so
cool,” Colbert said.
Regardless of whether you’re a
consignment newbie or veteran,
Chic Street aims to find the perfect
look for its customers, Kane said.
“Even if you don’t have a lot
of money, you can still look great
and have an awesome wardrobe,”
she said.
For more information about
Chic Street, call the Taylor Mill
location at 360-1246 or the Crescent Springs location at 341-3111
or visit chicstreetconsign.com.
Chic Street also has a Facebook
page, facebook.com/chicstreet and
a Twitter page, @shopchicstreet.
The grand opening of the Crescent Springs store will take place
from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 10 and
will include wine, a raffle and hors
d’oeuvres.

REGAN COOMER/STAFF

Mother and daughter team Katherine Colbert
and Brittney Kane are behind the brand-new
line of consignment shops, Chic Street, that
have just opened in Taylor Mill and Crescent
Springs.

A2

Kenton Recorder

News

February 3, 2011

BRIEFLY
Kenton to run golf
concessions

Kenton County will take
over operations of The Copper Kettle at the Kenton
County Golf Courses within
the month.
Kenton officials voted
unanimously Jan. 25 to terminate a contract with Copper

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Cettle Catering and start running the concessions stand
in-house.
The concession stand
paid yearly fees to the fiscal
court for use of the space, but
the entity has been short for
the last three years - currently, the company would owe
the county $16,750.
After negotiations, the
county and company agreed
that the amount owed would
be forgiven in exchange for
The Copper Kettle's equipment and supplies, valued at
around $50,000.
The county will pay
$20,500 for the equipment in
addition to forgiving the
$16,750 owed, for a total
county savings of about
$13,000.
Judge-executive Steve
Arlinghaus said he believes
the concession stand will

Piano recital

Thomas More College will
present
world-renowned
pianist Anna Shelest at 7 p.m.
Saturday Feb. 19 at the college's Steigerwald Hall.
The performance will be
Shelest's first in the region
since 2008 and will feature
music from her newlyreleased solo CD "Pictures at
an Exhibition." Shelest is a
graduate of Northern Kentucky University and Juilliard
School.
The program will include
works by Bach-Busoni,
Beethoven and Chopin in

addition to Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
Tickets are $15 for adults
and $5 for children and are
available at the Holbrook Student Center. For information,
e-mail musictickets@thomasmore.edu or call 341-5800.
The concert will be followed by a CD signing.

Parent election

The Simon Kenton High
School Site Based Decision
Making Council will be hosting a special election at 7
p.m. Monday, Feb. 7, in the
school library.
This election is being held
to fill a parent member position due to a parent resignation.
To nominate a parent or for
more information, e-mail
busymom1968@aol.com.

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At 3 months old, Katie’s parents
noticed the whites of her eyes
were turning yellow. Katie would
not survive without a liver
transplant. She’s alive because
someone said “yes” to organ
donation. Now, Katie is a
10-year-old honor student who
plays basketball and goes camping.

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make a profit under county
operations.
"The county operated in
there on its own in the past
and had a reasonable profit,"
he said. "There's no reason to
think anything otherwise."

would become the owner of
the 45 acres and would then
demolish any structures on
the land before re-planting
to create a buffer against
future flooding.
Hult said many residents
who live on the 45 acres in
37 structures along tributaries and Banklick Creek
affected by the grant are
elderly, disabled, widowed
or have difficulty evacuating when the situation warrants it.
The Kenton County Fiscal Court gave the go-ahead
on the project at the Jan. 25
regular meeting - however,
the county is not yet committed to spending its portion of the possible grant
until a contact must be
signed.

In the meantime, Kenton
County
Judge-executive
Steve
Arlinghaus
has
charged the conservation
district to seek out “real”
cost information, Hult said.
“This application is
based on estimates of what
the costs of demoltion
would be,” he said. “In the
interim, we will be working
with the county to refine
those estimates and working with the county to see
where the funding could
come from.”
One way to control costs
is focusing only on properties along Banklick’s main
stem, Arlinghaus said.
“I think it would be more
cost beneficial regardless of
how you do this if the strip
along Banklick Creek is
addressed first before you
get other properties piecemealed into the mix.”
Hult said there is no time
line regarding when the
grant application will be
approved by FEMA.

This one day event is a combined presentation of three seminars presented by nationally recognized
Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Cindy Bruckart. Information from her “Understanding Dog Play Behavior”,
“Thinking Outside the Bowl” and “Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog” seminars will be shared.

Saturday, February 19, 2011
10:00 a.m. — 3:00 p.m.

CE-0000445174

Seminar Fee: $75
Call our office for registration information!

CE-0000445057

News

Kenton Recorder

February 3, 2011

A3

District see funding cuts

By Regan Coomer
rcoomer@nky.com

In 1863, St. Elizabeth
Hospital nurses took in a
dying slave whose master
wouldn’t let her pray for
comfort.
The nurses took the
woman, Henrietta, to their
Seventh Street Covington
hospital to die in peace.
Henrietta was baptized and
her master, a Baptist minister, never knew.
Just two years after the
inception of what would be
St. Elizabeth Healthcare, the
hospital’s nurses did everything they could to care for
anyone, no matter their
position, race or creed, said
Northern Kentucky University History Professor Brian
Hackett, who led the
research into St. Elizabeth’s
150-year history.
“It’s an incredible legacy,” said Hackett, who
explained the women’s
action would have been illegal in 1863 when slaves
were considered property.
“These women took a
risk. To me, it’s a testament
of how important St. Elizabeth was and has become.”
St. Elizabeth honored
that legacy and its 150
years at an event held at St.
Elizabeth
Edgewood
Wednesday, Jan. 26. A
group of employees, politicians, community leaders
and more packed the visitor’s lobby where Diocese of
Covington Bishop Roger
Foys blessed and re-dedicated the hospital.
While many things have
changed, evolved and
improved over the last 150
years, the best is yet to
come for St. Elizabeth
Healthcare, said President
John S. Dubis.
“Our future is going to be
brighter than ever before,”
Dubis said.

REGAN COOMER/STAFF

A circa 19th century pill maker was on
display as part of the St. Elizabeth
Healthcare History Exhibit at St.
Elizabeth Edgewood Jan. 26.
“And it will be brighter
because of you. The assets
of St. Elizabeth are the people who work at the organization. Period.”
St. Elizbeth’s new locations in Florence and Fort
Thomas will be blessed
sometime this year in celebration of the 150th
anniversary.
“One of the things I’ve
learned since I’ve been here
is that St. Elizabeth is the
glue that holds the community together,” Dubis said.
After the re-dedication,
the group moved upstairs to
view a St. Elizabeth history
exhibit complete with photos and artifacts from the
hospital’s earliest year.
A special guest at the
event was 96-year-old Luella Jacobs Bradley, the oldest-living St. Elizabeth
Nursing School graduate.
Bradley’s nursing cap and a
photo of her in her nursing
uniform were included in
the exhibit.
“I enjoyed every moment
I spent here nursing,”
Bradley said. “It runs in the
family - my grandmother
and aunt were nurses.”
When asked how she
feels to be a part of history,
Bradley responded: “Like I
said, I’ve always wanted to
be queen for a day.”

“There’s no question we
need a new way of getting
revenue, but the questions
remains as to where it will
come from,” she said.
“We’re going to do what we
have to do, but this isn’t a
path we can continue to go
down.”

Local school district are
feeling the effects of cuts in
the Support Education
Excellence in Kentucky, or
SEEK, funds.
The SEEK funds, which
are allocated by the state,
are being cut by two percent
to each district this year.
The cut is in addition to cuts
in other areas of education
funding over the last few
years, including professional development, textbooks,
extended school services
and family resource services.
In Erlanger, the SEEK
cuts mean a loss of about
$153,000
for
the
Erlanger/Elsmere School
District this year.
“People hear two percent
and think it’s not that bad,
but in reality, it’s much
more than that when you
factor everything in,” said
Superintendent
Kahty
Burkhardt. “We knew cuts
were coming, but this is definitely a challenge to have
to deal with this.”
For Kenton County,
where the SEEK cuts total
around $914,000, Superintendent Tim Hanner said
they prepared by saving
their EduJob money, federal funding allocated to districts to keep people
employed in education. The
district’s EduJob funds

Burkhardt
agreed,
adding that the state’s use
of stimulus funds to replace
some SEEK funds was
merely a short-term solution. She also said that
some legislators have been
looking at districts’ fund
balances and counting that
as extra money when looking at budget cuts, which
she said was inaccurate. In
essence, a school district’s
fund balance is comparable
to equity, and not necessarily money available to be
spent.

CE-0000436742

jbrubaker@nky.com • rcoomer@nky.com

totaled $2,317,000.
“I’ve said since last summer I was afraid SEEK
wouldn’t be solvent this
year,” he said. “Districts
were told to use EduJob
money to fill in the gap, but
we didn’t spend the EduJob
money because we thought
this could possibly happen.”
In Fort Mitchell, Beechwood Superintendent Glen
Miller said the SEEK cuts
mean about a $70,000 loss
for the district. He also said
the mid-year cuts such as
this are difficult, because
employees are under contract and reducing staff to
account for the cuts is usually not an option.
“It really makes it tough,
but it’s part of the world we
live in now,” he said. “This
is a problem that every district is facing, no matter
how big or small, and we’ve
just got to do what we can.”

to New Customers
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Turfway 859-647-2160
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The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet seeks
information about unmarked graves on the
KY 16 Taylor Mill Road Project (Item No. 6-344.21;
FD04 C059 6471402 R) in Kenton County. A private
cemetery at the corner of Taylor Mill and Hands Pike
is impacted by the project. It is located behind the
former JD’s Food Mart and Gold Star Chili.
Anyone with information, please contact
Right of Way Agent Jason Rankin by phone
at (859) 341-2700 or by mail at
421 Buttermilk Pike, Covington, KY 41017.

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SCHOOLS
A4

Kenton Recorder

February 3, 2011

ACHIEVEMENTS

Editor Brian Mains | bmains@nky.com | 578-1062

|

NEWS

|

ACTIVITIES

|

HONORS

N K Y. c o m

COMMUNITY RECORDER

Simon Kenton band on the march

Regan Coomer
rcoomer@nky.com

The Simon Kenton High School
Marching Band will participate in
two prestigious parades in 2011.
Recently the band was accepted to perform in the Walt Disney
World Electric Light Parade at Disney’s Magic Kingdom April 14
and the 2011 Kentucky Derby
Festival Pegasus Parade May 5.
“This is a great privilege and
honor to be spotlighted in front of
thousands of people from around
the world,” said SKHS Band Director Jason Milner.
The Pegasus Parade, ranked
among the top 15 parades in the
U.S. by the International Festival
and Events Association, usually
o n l y
accepts 10
to
15
More
schools
information
f r o m
around the
The Simon
c o u n t r y,
Kenton High School
M i l n e r
Marching Band is
seeking sponsorships
said, and
from local businesses
this is the
and the community
fourth year
to attend the Walt
SKHS has
Disney World Electric
applied to
Light Parade at
participate.
Disney's Magic
About
Kingdom in April and
two-thirds
the 2011 Kentucky
of the band
Derby Festival
will
perPegasus Parade May
form
at
5. To donate, call the
Walt Disschool at 960-0100.
ney World

PROVIDED

The Simon Kenton High School Marching Band was recently accepted to perform at the Walt Disney World Electric Light Parade at Disney’s Magic Kingdom April 14 and the 2011 Kentucky Derby Festival
Pegasus Parade May 5.
this spring.
“It’s very cool,” said band
member Shelby Armstrong. “I’m a
senior and I’m getting to go on a
trip like this.”

As a senior, Armstrong said
she’s had a chance to watch her
band evolve and grow.
“When I was a freshman, I
never would have thought we’d

Kenton Governor’s Scholars
The 2011 Kenton County
School District Governor’s Scholars Selection Committee is proud
to announce that 33 nominees
have been selected to represent
the district at the State Level Competition in April.
The Governor's Scholars Program strives to enhance Kentucky's next generation of civic
and economic leaders.
The program provides academic and personal growth through
the balance of a strong liberal arts
program with a full co-curricular
and residential life experience.
Selection to the program is highly
competitive.
Congratulations to the 2011

The Assessment Center at
Gateway Community and Technical College has received a Gold
Standard Award from CASTLE
Worldwide Inc., for outstanding
performance in Internet-based
testing.
CASTLE is a provider of highquality testing services for corporations, government agencies,
educational institutions and trade
and professional associations.
The Assessment Center offers
exams from CASTLE and other
testing firms as part of the jobrelated services Gateway offers to

employers, individuals and the
general public. Other services
include career counseling and
assessment, and professional
state, national and international
certification and licensure testing.
The Assessment Center is open
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday and offers weekend hours by
appointment.
For information call 859-4421159, visit http://gateway.kctcs.
edu/Workforce_Solutions/Assessment_Center.aspx or e-mail Cindy
Sproehnle at cindy.sproehnle@
kctcs.edu.

The following local students
were named to the president’s or
dean’s list at Western Kentucky
University for the fall semester:
President’s list: Christina Barth
of Covington, Alicia Beach of Tay-

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car-selling conﬁdence.

lor Mill, Kathryn Brady of Independence, Rachel Child of Taylor
Mill, Jesse Cornelius of Covington,
Alicia DiTommaso of Covington,
Katie DiTommaso of Covington,
Logan Eckler of Covington, Emma
Pemberton of Taylor Mill and
David Vickery of Taylor Mill.
Dean’s list: Heather Barhorst of
Independence, Robert Cloar of
Independence, Elizabeth Cutchins
of Covington, Laura Fugate
of Independence, Stuart Kenderes
of Independence, Sydney Lutsch
of Latonia, Andrew Schuler of
Independence and Jordan Vorst of
Independence.
Students making the dean’s list
had a grade point average of 3.4
to 3.79 with at least 12 hours of
coursework. Students on the president’s list had a grade point average of 3.8 to 4.0.

BCTC dean’s list

The following Bluegrass Community & Technical College stu-

dents from Kenton County were
named to the dean’s list for the fall
semester:
Anna Barnett, David Bayer,
Lauren Heeger, Megan Hughes,
Amanda Kruempelman, Brittany
Langford, Wayne Onkst, Melissa
Rea, Courtney Redman, Jennifer
Schwartz and Christina Shepherd.
To be named to the dean’s list a
full-time students must earn an
overall semester grade point average of 3.5 or higher in courses
numbered 100 or higher.

Campbellsville dean’s list

Tierra Alma Alexander, a sophomore, and Kelsie Reigh Peckham, a freshman, both from Independence, were named to the
Campbellsville University’s dean’s
list for the fall semester.
The dean’s list recognized students who achieve a grade point
average of 3.5-3.99 for the
semester with a course load of at
least 12 hours.

University of Charlston
dean’s list

Kyle McCarty of Independence
was named to the dean’s list at the
University of Charleston, W.Va.,
for the fall semester.
The dean’s list recognizes fulltime students who earn a grade
point average of 3.5 or higher.
McCarty is a junior majoring in
sports administration.

National College dean’s list

The following students were
named to the dean’s list at National College, Florence, for the fall
term:
Robert Barnes, Luz King, Connie Kurtz and Pamela Leger, all of
Covington, and Evelyn Boyajian
and Starlite Huneycutt, both of
Independence.
To be named to the dean’s list,
a student must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.5.

• The Scott wrestling team
lost to Norwood 33-18, then
beat Williamsburg 31-30 Jan.
27. Against Norwood, Scott’s
Miller pinned Collins in 1
minute, 32 seconds; Brackens
pinned Sherman in 1 minute,
21 seconds; and Sower won
by forfeit. In the win against
Williamsburg, Scott’s Miller
won by forfeit; McBerty pinned
Stith; Brackens pinned Jeffers;
and Severin and Sower won
by forfeit.

Scott High School senior
basketball and volleyball player Lauren Tibbs is the
LaRosa’s MVP for the week of
Monday, Jan. 24. Tibbs is the
school’s all-time basketball
scorer.
She will continue her basketball career at Marquette
University.

Joe Allen had the biggest
shot of his career Jan. 29.
The Holy Cross High
School senior guard was
proudest of the fact his team
came together to make it
happen.
Holy Cross beat Beechwood 69-67 in overtime
Jan. 29 at HC’s home gym
in Latonia.
Holy Cross improved to
11-7, 6-1 in its last seven
games.
“We showed a lot of
character, a lot of guts to
make a great comeback in
the second half and find a
way to win in overtime,” HC
head coach Erik Goetz said.
Allen hit a three-pointer

with 20 seconds left in OT
for the winning points. That
capped a five-point comeback in the extra session
and a 13-point deficit in
regulation.
“It was a great pass by
(junior guard) Jake Burger,”
Allen said. “He set me up
for the open shot and I hit it.
We knew it would take a big
second half. We hustled and
never gave up. We played
great as a team, everybody
contributed.”
Beechwood dropped to
0-2 in seeding games, and
Holy Cross is 1-1. Beechwood plays at Holmes Feb.
5, and Holy Cross hosts Cov
Cath Feb. 4. Because of
head-to-head tiebreakers,
those matchups will repeat
in the district tournament

semifinals no matter who
wins either game this week.
Holy Cross had beaten
Beechwood by 29 points,
87-58, just 11 days earlier.
“They handled our pressure better (tonight),” Goetz
said. “We didn’t play well
offensively in the first half
and a lot of that was due to
them. Beechwood had a
great game plan. They
played really well.
Allen had eight points for
the game. Sophomore guard
Christian McClendon led HC
with 17 points, including
two big baskets late in OT.
Senior Jerry Arlinghaus had
11 points. Senior Noah
Knochelman had six points,
including the tying basket
with two minutes left in OT.
Freshman Jalen Avery

had six points and five
assists. Burger, HC’s leading
scorer for the year, was 0for-12 from the field but had
five points and six assists.
“It’s a collective effort,”
Goetz said. “I can call a play
for any of our guys but our
strength is we share the ball.
We have guys who can score
six to nine points in a game
when (Burger) struggles.”

The Indians don’t have
much rebounding and size
this year, so they have been
playing uptempo offense
and full-court pressure
defense this year.
“We don’t just work for
good shots, we work for
great shots,” Allen said.
“When we share the ball
and get great shots, our percentage goes up.”

Scott wrestlers focus on postseason
By James Weber
jweber@nky.com

Like in basketball, a
wrestling loss in January
doesn’t end your chances
for a state title.
Scott High School senior
wrestler Ritchie Supe had a
tough defeat Jan. 26 during
a Senior Night home meet at
his school in Covington/Taylor Mill. But he is focused on
winning when it matters
most, in the state tournament in February.
Supe, a two-time state
placer, is 29-5 after Scott’s
three matches on the night.
“All of them (the five
losses) have been against
really good wrestlers,” he
said. “I’m not disappointed.
I’m more concerned with
regional and state and getting ready for that.”
Last week’s loss was a 70 defeat to Walton-Verona
freshman Logan Jones at
the 130-pound class. Both
are likely to stay at 130 in
what should be one of the

JAMES WEBER/STAFF

Scott senior Ritchie Supe wrestles to victory over Cooper’s Justin Heidel Jan. 26
at Scott.
deepest weights at the
Region 6 meet Feb. 11-12.
“He’s obviously pretty
good. I feel like a lot of my
moves weren’t working,”
Supe said. “I took him down
a couple of times but they
were out of bounds.”
Supe is ranked ninth in
the state at 130. Jones is
seventh,
Ryle’s
Corey
Ahern is eighth, Simon
Kenton’s Jared Yocum 10th
and Campbell County’s Paul
Hamilton 12th.
While the regional field is
stacked, Supe should have a

better shot at a state title at
130, said Scott head coach
Don Graven. The coach
noted
the
top-ranked
wrestler at 125, Trinity’s
John Fahy, is virtually
unbeatable.
“Ritchie has been sick
and he’s been struggling,”
Graven said. “But we’d
rather lose now and remember how it feels to lose
instead of lose later in the
year when it counts.
Nobody remembers a threetime state placer but everyone remembers a state

champ, so you might as
well go for the gold.”
Supe said he will learn
from the loss, and that
learning his opponents is a
big part of his preparation.
“I work as hard as I can
in practice to see what I can
improve on,” he said. “You
have to figure out your best
moves and focus on those
moves.
“(Wrestling foes) is
extremely helpful because I
know what they’re going to
do and what their techniques are, whether I should
choose neutral or down.
The other side is they know
what works well against
me, too. I really look forward to facing them.”
Ritchie and older brothers Gabe and Stephen have
combined for six state
medals, and all three of
them medalled in 2008.
Ritchie, a starter on last
fall’s state semifinalist soccer team, is looking to play
soccer in college. He is the
last in the line of wrestling

brothers.
“This is something I’ve
been working on for seven
years,” he said. “I’ve seen
how hard my brothers
worked and how hard
we’ve worked together. It
takes a ton of effort and you
have to work your hardest.”
The Eagles have several
other regional contenders.
Junior Ryan Sowder is
35-10 in his first full year
on varsity. Graven said he is
cut from the same cloth as
older brother Zach, a fouryear starter and multipletime placer at state.
Senior Drew Miller, a
state qualifier last year, is
26-12 at 125 and is a
straight-A student.
Senior Cody Woodall is
22-10 at 171. Brandon
Robbins is ranked 27th at
135. Matt Severin is ranked
19th at 152.
“We’re still young, we
only have three seniors and
two juniors,” Graven said.
“We’re setting up for
regionals.”

Colonels, Pandas win NKAC titles
By James Weber
jweber@nky.com

The week
at Covington Latin

Covington Catholic and
Notre Dame were the team
champions at the Northern
Kentucky Athletic Conference Swim and Dive Championships Jan. 21-22 at
Scott High School.
Notre Dame won all 11
swimming events and was
second in diving.

The Thomas More College
women’s basketball was voted
the No. 1 team in the nation on
Monday, Jan. 24, according to
the week’s D3hoops.com Top25 poll.
The Saints received 15 out
of a possible 25 first-place
votes and a total 598 points in
the poll. The new ranking is the
first time in Thomas More history that any athletic team has
been ranked No. 1 in the
nation.
The undefeated Saints (170 overall, 9-0 in the Presidents’
Athletic Conference) are off to
their best start since the 20072008 campaign when they
started 29-0. Thomas More is
averaging 67.2 points per
game, while holding their
opponents to 50.9 ppg.

RECREATIONAL

Kenton Recorder

Boys

Calvary vs. Deming

PROVIDED

Calvary Christian senior Shane Reuscher and Deming High School
senior twins Kyle King and Luke King prepare for showdown during the
10th Region Boys All “A” Classic Tournament at Northern Kentucky
University on Jan. 19. Deming won, 60-44.

What grade would you give
President Barack Obama for
his first two years in office? Do
you plan to vote for him in
2012?
“A well deserved grade of Fminus. I would not vote for this
incompetent poseur if he were the
only candidate running!”
J.G.
“I would give him a ‘D’ and no,
I would not vote for him in 2012.
“He gets a ‘D’ because while I
think his economic policies, in
particular his borrowing and
spending, have put the country’s
finances in a very precarious position he is sincere about his policies and believes in them.
“I just think he is very, very
wrong.”
T.H.
S.B.

“What grade would I give
Barack Obama for his first two
years in office? F minus.
“He is adept at exceeding the
limitations of government and
interfering where he has no business.
“And while I give him credit for
being ‘intelligent’ in a way he is
totally incompetent to be the chief
executive – but he loves to bask in
the limelight, which is one of the
reasons I flunk him. I can’t stand
arrogance.
“Do I plan to vote for him in
2012? Are you kidding? Not in a
million years.”
Bill B.
“I would grade President
Obama an F. He has not helped
our county.
“No good things have happened internally and much worse
worldwide, people have really
been affected by his administration. The health care plan is
crazy.”
E.S.
“I would give President Obama
a ‘D’ for his first two years in
office. However, I would give him
an ‘A’ for his campaign.
“His mastery of rhetoric in
combination with use of technology to access the masses (even
those who would not ordinarily
participate), along with taking
advantage of the public’s poor
perceptions of other parties’ candidates got him elected.
“He knows how to ‘talk the
talk’ but doesn’t ‘walk the walk.’
I saw through it back in ‘08 and
continue to do so. I will not vote
for him in ‘12.”
C.P.
Although I tend to lean a bit
towards the liberal side of the
fence, I try to remain fairly openminded politically.
“I think President Obama has
done a decent job of implementing
many of the changes on which he
ran for office.
“Despite being handed an economic nightmare in the wake of
the prior administration’s (and,
yes, even some of that passed
down from earlier ones, too) horrific shortcomings, Obama has
managed to stabilize job losses,
stem the real estate decline and
even push through the start of a
new health care program aimed at
helping the uninsured.
“I would give him a ‘B’ overall
– no president is perfect and none
has ever been able to deliver anywhere near all of their campaign
promises.
“Since the GOP has not pro-

|

LETTERS

|

COLUMNS

|

What do you remember about
the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in January 1986 or the Space
Shuttle Columbia disaster in February 2003?
Send your answer to
“bmains@nky.com” with Chatroom in
the subject line.
duced any solid ideas for turning
our economy around any faster or
any better than has the current
administration I will definitely
vote for Obama again in the next
election (especially if someone
like Sarah Palin or Michelle Bachman is running against him –
heaven help us all!).
“What we desperately need to
do now is let middle-class Americans have the greatest tax break
so they can get back on their feet
financially so we can begin to
develop ‘real’ new sources of jobs,
get the real estate market moving
again and put a stop once and for
all of big banks and Wall Street
milking the American economy
for every nickel on which it can
get its greedy hands. If I hear of
one more big bank exec getting a
huge bonus after being bailed out
by us, the average American taxpayer, I’ll be sick for sure!
“’Nuff said ...”
M.M.

COMMUNITY RECORDER

CH@TROOM

N K Y. c o m

Editor Brian Mains | bmains@nky.com | 578-1062

Next question

Last week’s question

“F. No.”

EDITORIALS

Life lists and learning
Do you have a life list? A list of
goals you would like to accomplish such as places you would
like to visit, foods you would like
to try or perhaps a language you
would like to learn?
Some of your goals may be difficult to complete because of a
lack of time or money but learning a language can be a free and
fulfilling challenge.
The Kenton County Public
Library offers Mango Languages,
an online language learning program. Find Mango languages by
visiting kentonlibrary.org/language. French, German, Spanish
and Italian are popular courses
but there are 28 language courses
offered. All you need is your Kenton County Public Library card
and a desire to learn. This program is free to everyone with a
Library card.
Learning a new language can
broaden your horizons and peak
your interest in new cultures.
Once you start learning your new
language you may want to visit
countries that speak it or meet
new people who are native speakers. In addition, keeping your
brain active with new learning
experiences may help keep you

Nicole Frilling
Community
Recorder guest
columnist

sharp. Just as
you exercise
your
body
you need to
exercise your
brain as well,
and learning a new language can
help keep your brain fit!
As adults we work to keep our
minds sharp but it seems that any
child can hear a new word and
pick up on it immediately. However, when it comes to learning a
new language this is a great skill
to have. If their brains are indeed
sponges we should help them
soak up as much knowledge as
possible.
If you are a caregiver for a
small child you may feel like you
don't have time to learn a new
language. However you and your
child can learn together with Little
Pim.
Little Pim is a language learning site for small children. You
can access it from the Library's
language web page. Little Pim
makes learning fun for your child.
There are ten languages available
including French, Spanish and
Chinese. There are videos and
practice cards for eating and
drinking, waking up, playtime

and more. Watching other children learn and play in the videos
while learning a new language
will keep both of you entertained.
Studies have shown that children who learn a second language
have better language and literacy
skills. It can also improve their
understanding of their own language as well as their abilty to listen and comprehend. As a caregiver you can help support their
language development by singing
songs, reading books or playing
games using their new vocabulary.
Some tips for adults learning a
foreign language include making
and using vocabulary lists or flash
cards. Use the Internet, there are
many additional sites that will
help and encourage you when
you are learning.
If possible converse with
native speakers, most people will
be happy that you are learning a
new language and eager to help
you. And don't forget, the Library
has many books, CDs and DVDs
that will help you learn and
explore new cultures.
Nicole Frilling is the Digital
Branch Librarian for the Kenton
County Library

“Extremely pleased with President Obama. Will absolutely vote
for him in 2012.
“He has accomplished so much
in his first two years of service.
He has brought back honesty and
integrity to the office of the president of the U.S. We should all be
proud.
L.A.R.
“F! Two years ago Obama told
us ‘Give me the trillion dollar
stimulus package or unemployment will go up to 8 percent.’ He
got his stimulus package and
unemployment went up to 10 percent!
“For two years he’s told us
‘The stimulus is working’ even
though unemployment is currently at 9.6 percent.
“The backbone of the Obama
administration has been BOB,
Blame it On Bush.
“Candidate Obama promised
all legislation will be online 5 days
before it’s voted upon and it will
be covered on CSPAN for the benefit of the people. The ObamaCare debacle demonstrated how
he lied and that he is unable to
control his own party.
“He has repeatedly humiliated
America around the world, most
notably by lecturing Germany’s
Angela Merkel that her handling
of the financial crisis was wrong.
Two years later Germany has
emerged from that crisis while
Obama is too proud and arrogant
to learn a lesson from her.
“Will I vote for him? I doubt if
Joe Biden will vote for him.”
R.V.
“In my opinion the grade on
Obama’s first two years is a
resounding
‘F’;
however,
throughout my life – from Mama’s
knee to my husband’s arm, from
childhood to adulthood – I’ve
learned that the office of the president of the United States of
America should be given respect.
“Hence, the best I can give him
is a ‘D’ for being the ‘leader of the
free world’ and knowing where
the teleprompters are placed.
“Also he should have a point
or two for siring two adorable
daughters and for seemingly caring alot for his sweet dog, Bo.
Plan to vote for him in 2012? You
jest, of course!”
C.W.

Academic team head to postseason

Brigid Connelly of Fort Mitchell and the St. Ursula Academy Academic Team are entering postseason play after a come-back win against
Elder High School and a second victory against Roger Bacon High School. The team outscored both in all three components: letter round,
team and lighting. Pictured is, from left, back row: Kendall Sherman of Anderson, team captain, Tori Cardone of Indian Hill, Brigid Connelly
of Fort Mitchell and Eileen Brady of Union township; and front row, Giovanna Kimberly of Covedale and Ari Waller of Fairfield.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Noah’s Ark park
will be a success

In normal economic conditions
the proposed park about Noah’s
Ark and other Bible history will be
a tremendous drawing card to all
venues in Kentucky. One thing I
do know that these are good clean
dollars which will multiply in our
Kentucky economy and produce
good jobs for many of our citizens.
I have taken several children
and adults to the new Creation
Museum.
It is sad to see the same few
grown professional men attacking
verbally the thousands of people
of faith that came to visit as
though they had all the answers
to life in their science books. Very
bright men, but very misguided in
their attacks against this effort in
education. I hope every student in
the country can see this historic
story and can also see the Big
Bone State Park and its great
story, the Underground Railroad
in Cincinnati and all of our parks
and sights in Greater Cincinnati
and the Kentucky area.
History is the light to our

future.
Our new landmark is the light
above the new Great American
Insurance Building and Western
Southern Financial which gives a
great view over all of our areas.
How many times have you
looked at the light?
It is most symbolic that this
light from our tallest building is
named after and occupied by
insurance companies for you see
the greatest insurance policy anyone can ever have is to except the
Lord Jesus into our hearts and be
insured that you we will have
eternal everlasting life in heaven.
John Stephenson
Independence

GOP at work

The second half of Kentucky’s
legislative session has begun and
the Democrats have made it plain
that the 12 bills passed by the
Senate during the first half stand
little chance of passage in the
House.
Speaker Greg Stumbo said
before the first half that “the
Democratic House generally does
not take up the Senate’s bills until

the Senate passes House bills.” I
believe that attitude, in a nutshell,
explains why the House Democrats disgraced themselves last
November. Kentucky’s voters had
enough of that pettiness and the
Democrats lost their supermajority in the House.
Under the leadership of Senate
President David Williams, the
Senate selected its leadership and
committee assignments were
made before the session began.
The Senate introduced 13 bills
and passed 12. The House, under
Speaker’s leadership did no
organizing until the session began
and did not introduce a bill until
after the session.
In other words, the Republican
led Senate accomplished the people’s business. The Democrat led
House played politics.
The people of Kentucky are
tired of the pettiness emanating
from Frankfort. The Democrats
are not working to make Kentucky better. All they do is throw
mud and childishly obstruct any
kind of progress.
Ted Smith
Park Hills

Local business offer up Valentine’s Day ideas
By Regan Coomer
rcoomer@nky.com

Put fun and romance in this
year’s Valentine’s Day with a
singing valentine, a cozy dinner or
a night out on the town with your
best friend.
The Community Recorder has
rounded up a few sure-to-impress
Valentine’s Day activities, no matter your status.

Couples:

Stop by the Argentine Bean in
the Crestview Hills Town Center
for a five-course dinner courtesy
of Chef Greg Fredwest.
Everything created in the
restaurant is made from scratch
down to the salad dressing, Fredwest said.
On Feb. 12 and Feb. 14, couples will have their choice of two
entrees, a fillet with a brandy
cream sauce or an oyster-stuffed
pork loin with a fig cream sauce.
“We’ll have an acoustic guitar
player and the restaurant is just
beautiful,” he said. “It’s a perfect
place to take a date.”
The dinner will cost couples
$40 to $50 per person and will
REGAN COOMER/STAFF
include an appetizer, soup, salad,
vegetables and a handcrafted Villa Hills residents Katelyn Schawe and Bryan Wilson take advantage of Reality Tuesday’s award-winning cheesecake. Eating at the Park Hills mainstay could be one tasty option for your Valentine’s Day
dessert in addition to the entree. this year.
Call 426-1042 to make a reservaHills Town Center to paint a onetion.
In Independence, the Citizen’s of-a-kind piece or stop by CovingPolice Academy Alumni Associa- ton Clay in Covington for pottery
tion will be hosting its annual wheel classes with your friends.
Call Color Me Mine at 344Valentine’s Dance from 7 p.m. to
6463.
Call Covington Clay at 491midnight Saturday, Feb. 5. Admission is $20 a person and will 3900 or visit covingtonclay.com.
include a catered dinner and a DJ.
To purchase tickets, call 609-2151 For everyone:
Whether it’s for your mother, a
or 282-1985.
co-worker, friend or significant
other, a Singing Valentine delivery
Singles:
could be right for just about everyThose feeling anti–Valentine’s body.
Day this year will enjoy a viewing
The Cincinnati Delta Kings
of “The Odd Couple” at the Chorus has delivered Singing
Carnegie Visual and Performing Valentine Barbershop Quartets
Arts Center in Covington.
around Greater Cincinnati for the
The play, showing weekends last 17 years.
through Feb. 13, will reprise Oscar
Drawing members from all
Madison and Felix Ungar’s over the Tri-state, the Delta Kings
famous domestic dispute just in Chorus will serenade the “victim”
time for the holiday. Tickets are of your choice from Feb. 11 to 15.
$15-$19 and can be purchased by The quartets visit just about anycalling 957-1940. Visit the- where complete with colorful outcarnegie.com for more informa- fits, two or three standard love
tion.
songs and a red rose for your
“It doesn’t get much better beloved.
PROVIDED
than this finely-crafted comedy,”
Popular song selections include
said “The Odd Couple Director “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and The Four Leads Singing Valentine Quartet could be at your door this February. Left to right: Baritone Gordy Knecht from Edgewood, Bass Bob Reed
Drew Fracher in a release. “I can- “Sweet Valentine,” the quartet’s from Forest Park, Lead Denny Daum from West Chester and Tenor Roger Hettesheimer from Maineville.
not wait to get started; there’s special version of Neil Diamond’s person wherever they happen to 1-888-796-8555.
Kenton Lands Road.
nothing like going to work and “Sweet Caroline.”
The event, co-sponsored by the
A second option for the whole
be and whatever you want us to
laughing for five or six hours
family is the Valentine’s Day Party Erlanger Parks and Recreation
“It’s a great way to show your sing to them.”
every day.”
A Singing Valentine package is to be held at 2 p.m. Sunday Feb. Department, will include family
love in song,” said Delta Kings
If you’re a crafty type, visit member Denny Daum. “We come $50 and benefits the chorus. To 13 at the Erlanger branch of the activities and crafts. Call 962Color Me Mine in the Crestview in there in costume to sing to that order, visit deltakings.org or call Kenton County Public Library, 4000 to make a reservation.

Playhouse to perform
in Northern Kentucky

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Pee-Wee’s caters taste

Jason Brubaker
jbrubaker@nky.com

The goal of Pee-Wee’s
Place is pretty simple,
according to Tim “Pee-Wee”
Reese.
“We don’t want people to
like our food - we want
them to love it,” said the
owner of the Crescent
Springs-based restaurant.
“We want people walking
out knowing they can’t wait
to come back.”
Reese opened Pee-Wee’s
in June of 2009, renovating
and remodeling the former
Speakeasy Bar on Anderson
Road.

“It took a lot of time and
effort, but you feel like a
million bucks when someone comes in and says they
like it,” he said.
Known for their “best-intown” burgers, Pee-Wee’s
actually offers a variety of
menu items, from hot
breakfast each morning to
home-cooked lunch specials.
They also feature a private banquet room, sand
volleyball court, covered
patio, and even offer off-site
catering.
Additionally, they are
known to work with local
charities, and even hosted

JASON BRUBAKER/STAFF

Pee-Wee’s Place, on Anderson Road in Crescent Springs, is known for their “bestin-town” burgers and family atmosphere.
several soldiers who visited
the area while home from
Afghanistan.
“We like to get involved,
because families and community are important to

us,” he said."We wanted to
have a fun, family atmosphere, and that’s what
we’ve got.”
For information, visit
www. peewee splace.com.

The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s regional
premiere production of
“Dis/Troy” by Yokanaan
Kearns will be performed at
The Baker Hunt Art & Cultural Center of Covington.
The show is free and
open to the public and will
take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12.
Prior to the event, a
mask making class will be
conducted for $5. Reservations, for either the play or
the class, can be made by
calling Baker Hunt at 859431-0020. For further
information about the Baker
Hunt, visit www.baker-

LOL is ... Local bloggers writing from your
perspective on cooking, wine, romance and more!
Visit: Cincinnati.Com/LOL or search: living

hunt.com
“Dis/Troy” is a theatrical
adaptation of Homer’s “The
Iliad.”
Set during the Trojan
War, the play cuts to the
core issues of the classic
epic – glory, fate, revenge
and homecoming. The
Greek warrior hero Achilles
refuses to fight, leading to
disastrous results for both
the Greeks and their enemy.
Dramatic scenes in the
mortal world alternate with
comic scenes on Mount
Olympus, where the gods
are fighting their own, often
ridiculous “war” to see
which side will win.

Blithe Spirit, 8 p.m., Stained Glass Theatre,
802 York St., Noel Coward classic. Newly
married novelist takes part in seance in order
to drum up new material for himself. But
soon he is tormented by the ghost of his
dead first wife. $20. Presented by Footlighters Inc. Through Feb. 5. 513-474-8711;
www.footlighters.org. Newport.
S A T U R D A Y, F E B . 5

To submit calendar items, go to “www.nky.com” and click on
“Share!” Send digital photos to “life@communitypress.com” along
with event information. Items are printed on a space-available basis
with local events taking precedence.
Deadline is two weeks before publication date. To find more
calendar events, go to “www.nky.com” and choose from a menu of
items in the Entertainment section on the main page.

Cold Spring Branch Book Club Discusses
To Kill a
Mockingbird, 11
a.m., Cold
Spring
Branch
Library,
3920
Alexandria
Pike, Discuss this
Pulitzer
Prize-winning book about an African-American man
accused of rape during the Depression in
Alabama. The accuser’s lawyer wants to
reveal the truth, expose the town’s bigotry
and encourage people to imagine the possibility of racial equality. Family friendly. Free.
Presented by Campbell County Public
Library. 859-781-6166; www.cc-pl.org.
Cold Spring.

International performing artist Tatiana “Tajci” Cameron, pictured, comes to the
Aronoff Center for the Arts Jarson-Kaplan Theater at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, for
the musical "My Perfectly Beautiful Life." It is the story of four women in search
of balance and self discovery. Cameron wrote the music and lyrics. It is directed
by Caitlin A. Kane and presented by Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative. Tickets are
$7; $4, students. Call 513-621-2787 or visit www.cincinnatiarts.org.

All some people need is just a good listening to
catch every word.
Hearing and listening are
Deep listening is an
two entirely different things.
art to be cultivated.
We all hear way too much
Not many people are
sound as noise.
accomplished
at
Hearing occurs when
engaging in it.
sounds and words are physIn fact, it would be
ically received by our ears. If
interesting to ask ourwe’re engaged in a converselves the question,
sation, we hear the other’s
Father Lou “In my lifetime, name
words, interpret what they
Guntzelman at least five people I
probably mean, and then
fashion a response.
Perspectives found I could turn to
when I needed them to
Ordinarily, we spend
be a good listener to
most of our lives engaged in
me.”
conversations of this sort –
True listening, empathic listennot great substance but informational and polite, like a veneer on ing, is essential. It’s one of the
main reasons we go to counselors
wood.
Listening goes deeper than and even pay them. It’s to have
hearing. It’s interesting to note the someone listen to the story of our
etymology of the word “listen.” It life, take us seriously in a noncomes from the Anglo-Saxon root judgmental way, and understand.
How heartwarming when we
word meaning to list, i.e. to tilt as a
ship lists to one side. It leans a little. find such a person. That doesn’t
The word arose from the obser- mean they agree or disagree, but
vation that when one person is that they grasp what we’re going
really listening to another, he or through inwardly.
Our deepest inner experiences
she may at times lean a little
toward them in concentration to can only make their appearance in

Listening is not only hearing words, but “hearing the speaker’s
feelings” along with the words. Hearing only a flow of words is like
hearing the words of a song but not the music that enhances them.
the world – and eventually be
accepted by us – when someone
else glimpses them and understands. By doing this, another
person validates our own experience of ourselves.
Listening is not only hearing
words, but “hearing the speaker’s
feelings” along with the words.
Hearing only a flow of words is
like hearing the words of a song
but not the music that enhances
them.
When we actually listen, we
grasp the music as well. To be a
good listener we need compassion
and empathy.
What happens if any one of us
tries to be a good listener when
someone asks us to be?
It means I will pick up much
more than the words they say. I

will detect unspoken aspects such
as the emotions that vibrate in
their voice. I’ll note their body language, eyes and facial expressions
as well as the speed that accompanies their words.
I’ll call to mind as much as I
know of their life experiences. I
won’t be focused mentally on my
own responses but on them as I
trustingly look them in the eye. I
won’t always have something
clever to say, but I will respond to
them honestly with respect and
confidentiality.
An adolescent undergoing the
turmoil of their changing world is
usually depicted as the typical
example of someone not being listened to.
That’s often true. But the truth
is that every stage of life looks for

a genuine listener. Consider the
aged. Consider spouses. Consider
yourself.
So here we are in the Age of
Information. Look at all those people on cell phones: tweeting, textmessaging, fingering thousands of
apps.
Think of all the conversations
today and tonight on computers
and telephones. Imagine all the
words that flow back and forth.
See Dick. See Dick talk. Talk,
Dick, talk!
But what good is all the talk if
no one really listens?
Our hearts experience the failure to be listened to as an absence
of concern. It implies that no one
is interested in walking over the
bridge between us.
Father Lou Guntzelman is a Catholic
priest of the Archdiocese
of Cincinnati. Contact him at
columns@communitypress.com or
P.O. Box 428541, Cincinnati, OH
45242.

What are your rights when you get a repair?
Do you know your
rights when a serviceman
comes to your house to
repair or service something?
Unfortunately, all too
often consumers learn the
price after the work has
already been done and it’s
time to pay the bill.
Laverne
Wilson
of
Batavia said she had no
idea what the final bill
would be when her recliner
chair stopped working after
three years.
“The back wouldn’t go
back – some days it would
and some days it wouldn’t.
So, in December I called the
manufacturer and they said
the warranty had ended,”
Wilson said.
Wilson agreed to pay
$120 for a serviceman to
come to her home to see if it
could be fixed.
“He came out and looked
at the chair. He turned it
over and said, ‘I don’t think
we can get the parts for that
anymore.’ But he said, ‘I
just happen to have a kit
with me. Some lady ordered
the parts and decided not to
have the chair fixed, so I
just happen to have it.’ ”

Wilson
said she
agreed to
have the
repairman
use
the
kit.
She
said
he
had to cut
Howard Ain the masHey Howard! sage and
heat sections of the chair to get the
back working – and promised to return with more
parts.
“He never said a word
about it costing more. So, I
thought it was just $120,”
she said.
Wilson said the manufacturer called a few days
later to tell her, “ ‘Before we
order the parts we want you
to understand it’s going to
be $250 for what he’s
already done.’ I said, ‘Oh
my goodness. I wouldn’t
have had it done had I
known it was going to cost
that.’ ”
Wilson said she told the
repair company not to
charge her for the repair
because she didn’t approve,
but was told she would be

charged because the work
had already been done.
Ohio consumer law says
you must get an estimate
for any repair or service
costing more than $25.
In fact, you must sign a
contract stating what type
of estimate you want: oral,
written or no estimate at all.
“I didn’t sign anything,”
said Wilson. “He didn’t tell
me anything. I didn’t see
(any) papers. I wondered
about that because even the
warranties I’ve had on other
appliances and things, you
signed something when
they came.”

Wilson said she’s now
disputing the charge with
her credit card company.
The company does have
a right to come back and
take off the repair kit, but it
will have to return the chair
to the condition it was in –

with the massage and heat
sections working.
Kentucky does not have
such an estimate law.
Therefore, it’s important to
remember, no matter where
you live, always ask up
front what the cost will be

before agreeing to any
repair or service.
Howard Ain answers consumer
complaints weekdays on
WKRC-TV Local 12. Write to
him at 12 WKRC-TV, 1906
Highland Ave., Cincinnati
45219.

B4

Kenton Recorder

Life

February 3, 2011

Go for the extra point with these gameday goodies
Whether you’re for the
Steelers or the Packers,
you’ll need lots of good
party food
for keeping your
energy up
during all
the cheering (hopefully) and
gametime
frenzy.
Rita
W
e
Heikenfeld
usually
h a v e Rita’s kitchen
appetizers,
pizza and my husband
Frank’s Caesar salad. For
dessert, I always make
homemade glazed doughnuts.
Here’s some really good
appetizer recipes to get you
in the “Go team!” mood.

Spread a nice layer of
tartar sauce on the shell.
Add pickles, ham and
Swiss. Bake at 375 degrees
until cheese melts, about 10
minutes or so.

Texas caviar

This is a healthier alternative than the norm, but
still so yummy.
2 cans, approximately
15 oz. each, black-eyed
peas, drained
1 can, 14.5 oz., petite
diced tomatoes, drained
2 jalapeños, seeded and
minced – more or less to
taste
1
small
onion,
diced
very small
1
⁄2 yellow bell
or other colored
bell
pepper,
diced very small
Handful or so
chopped cilantro
1
⁄3 cup each:
red wine vinegar and olive oil
Salt, pepper and garlic
powder to taste: start with 1⁄2
teaspoon

1 teaspoon dry oregano
2 teaspoons cumin
Mix everything together.
Cover and refrigerate anywhere from a couple of
hours to a day.
Before serving, adjust
seasonings. I like to add
extra vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve with favorite
chips.

browned on each side. Put
into sprayed crockpot.
Combine sauce ingredients and pour over chicken.
Cover. Cook on low for four
hours or on high for two
hours.

Like Seven Hills BBQ

These are spicy, sweet
and sticky. Have plenty of
napkins! Go to taste on the
sauce.

Boone County reader Virginia Langsdale shares this
popular recipe.
“Very similar to Seven
Hills sloppy joes. Found it in
a Florence Christian Church
cookbook published way
back in 1969. It was sent in
by Kay Garnett who said
she fixed it often for her
family. It is so good,” said
Virginia.

minutes.
I told Virginia you could
serve on buns with slaw, if
you like, or with a dollop of
Cheez Whiz on top, with an
onion bun.

Online recipe

Rita’s yeast raised glazed
doughnuts: Check out my
online version of this column at www.communitypress.com for the recipe.

Notes from our readers

Cheryl Raine made my
chicken chili for her Mount
Healthy United Methodist
Church’s annual chili cookoff and won first place.
She added a “healthy
dose of Jamaican jerk seasoning (at least 2 tablespoons).”
Now that’s what I like to
hear. Taking my recipe and
making it better.
Rita Nader Heikenfeld is an
herbalist, educator and author.
E-mail columns@community
press.com with “Rita’s kitchen”
in the subject line. Call 513-2487130, ext. 356.

for children ages
4 through 15

www.kababaseball.org

REGISTRATION OPEN THROUGH MARCH 13TH

KABA has opened registrations for the 2011 season with a number of options: Register &
pay online; fill out a form online and pay via the US mail or at one of the on-site location;
Register on-site at Dick’s through March 13th from 10 - 5 on Sat. & 1- 4 on Sunday.
COACHING VACANCIES

Adults interested in coaching should
attend one of the Dick’s sign-ups or
the KABA Community Day at Dick’s on
Feb 19th. All volunteers must pass a
background check. The form is available
online at KABA’s web site.

League Structure

Tee Ball – 3-4-Young 5’s

The first season starts in March and plays
games on Saturdays. Practices will be
scheduled. Each child receives a hat, shirt,
pants and socks. Games are played in
about one hour. Each player bats each and
every inning. The program is conducted by
the Learn to Play Academy. Volunteers are
encouraged.

Rookie MP – 5 & 6’s

Registration is available by submitting either an individual team
registration form or by submitting a league roster form. Registration
forms for the various national affiliations are also required.
Deadlines apply, so register early.

League Structure

Tournament Placement

Minor – 9 & 10’s

Rec Plus or All Star

AABC

Major – 11 & 12’s

Competitive or Select League

The division starts Saturday, April 2nd. One
game is played during the week and another
on the weekend. Roster batting and pitch
counts are used. 46 ft. pitching distance and
60 ft. base lengths. Pre-season; Memorial
Weekend (USSSA State Tn.) and the End of
Season Tourney. Full uniform provided.

This age group starts in late April and plays
12-14 games. Practice is held weekly. Two
pitches are thrown and then the batting tee
is used. Children receive a hat, shirt, pants
and socks. The games last 1 hour and 15
minutes.

This age group starts April 2nd. One game
played during the week and another on the
weekend. A number of tournament options
exist and games with other outside leagues
scheduled. 50 ft. pitching and 70 ft. base
distances. Pre-season; Memorial Weekend
(USSSA State Tn.) and the End of Season
Tourney.Full uniform provided.

Machine Pitch – 7 & 8’s

Babe Ruth & Select 13 - up

This age group starts April 2nd and plays
once during the week and on the weekend.
Practices are held weekly. Upgraded uniform
- belted pants, belt, hat, shirt and socks.
Stealing introduced; KABA is hosting the
USSSA State Tournament for regular season
rec team’s.

KENTUCKY SELECT

These age group starts when the team’s are
able to play. Those with high school players
will start around Memorial Weekend, while
those without start as early as April 2nd.
When possible, KABA arranges entrance into
outside tournaments - several scheduled
now.

KABA COMMUNITY DAY AT DICK’S

KABA‘s Community Day at Dicks is set for February
19th from 10am to 4pm. All KABA families will
receive an additional 15% off any purchase in the
store. For more information, please contact Jeff
Keener at 859-991-4619.

Regular season teams are combined to
form multiple all - star or travel teams. Also
create an additional tournament trail for
teams when they lose in current tourney trail.
Ability to send more than one all star team to
meaningful tournaments.

Entire leagues may join Kentucky Select and
benefit from being able to offer multiple bids
and tournament tracks to the participating
teams. The advantage is that this type of
league naturally meets the game requirement
of the national affiliations. Scores recorded
for NABF, USSSA registered leagues.

Kentucky Select League

Select teams from the same area are paired
with teams in other parts of the state. Local
partners play during the week and travel to
other areas for Saturday and Sunday doubleheaders. Minimum of four teams - Goal six
to eight.

This affiliation offers its Regionals in
Cincinnati for even year age groups. Winners
advance to special sites including Puerto Rico
(room & travel included). Odd year age group
option to proceed directly to World Series.
Regular season teams. Individual State
Tourney sites to be placed.

CABA

This affiliation uses individual age group
tournaments. The World Series are
for the best teams, while the National
Championships are for the next tier. One
State Tournament site is being sought for July
1st.

NABF / PONY / Hap DuMont

NABF is for regular league teams/ WS in
South Haven, MS, while PONY & Hap Dumont
allows either reg. season or all star team
participation. PONY uses a series of play
& win tournaments, while Hap Dumont
has direct berths to their World Series.
Tourney locations are being sought for these
tournaments.

April Lynn Barhorst, 56, of Independence, died Jan. 22, 2011, at
St. Elizabeth Edgewood.
She was previously employed
with Fruit of the Loom. She loved
horses, enjoyed fishing and the outdoors.
Her parents, James Franklin
Barhorst and Virginia Marion Hacker
Barhorst, died previously.
Survivors include her brother, Jeffrey Barhorst of Arlington, Va.; and
aunt, Ethel Barhorst of Independence.
Internment was at Independence
Cemetery.
Memorials: American Cancer
Society, 297 Buttermilk Pike, Fort
Mitchell, KY 41017.

Dolores ‘Dolly’ Berling
Dolores “Dolly” Berling, 91, of

BIRTHS

DEATHS

|

POLICE

|

REAL

B5

COMMUNITY RECORDER

ESTATE

N K Y. c o m

Editor Brian Mains | bmains@nky.com | 578-1062

DEATHS

Covington, died Jan. 26, 2011, at
St. Elizabeth Edgewood.
She was a homemaker and a
member of St. Augustine Church of
Covington, the Hilltoppers, St. Monica Society and the Pathfinders. She
enjoyed playing cards and crocheting.
Her husband, Vincent A. Berling,
died previously.
Survivors include daughters, Pat
Trolley and Betty Nieberding of Villa
Hills, Nancy Whitton of Burlington,
Marcia Elfers and Margie Schmitz of
Fort Wright and Janet Duncan of
Hebron; sister, Carol Grady of Delhi,
Ohio; 12 grandchildren; and 12
great-grandchildren.
Burial was at St. John Cemetery,
Fort Mitchell. Memorials: Hospice of
St. Elizabeth, 483 S. Loop Road,
Edgewood, KY 41017 or St. Augustine Church, 1839 Euclid Ave., Covington, KY 41011.

Willie Blanton

|

Kenton Recorder

Willie Blanton, 84, of Walton,
died Jan. 25, 2011, at St. Elizabeth
Edgewood.
He was a World War II veteran,
serving in the 417th regiment, 76th
infantry division, “the Onaways,” and
a retired truck driver for Continental
Baking and Square D Company. He
was a retired member of Teamsters
Local No. 651 and enjoyed hunting,
fishing, mowing the grass and playing the organ.
His wife, Betty Louise Blanton,
and a son, Robert Anthony Blanton,
died previously.
Survivors include his beloved

Martha “Elaine” Bulter, 61, of
Corinth, died Jan. 26, 2011, at her
home.
She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband,
Greg Butler of Corinth; son, Chris
Butler of Corinth; daughters,
Danielle Russell of Florence, Rachel
Veiera of Independence and Nicole
Perkins of Latonia; brothers, “Hap”
Brady of Homosassa, Fla., and Pete
Brady of Florence; sister, Doris
Wolfeld of Boynton Beach, Fla.; and
eight grandchildren.

Charles W. Centers

Charles W. Centers, 73, of Covington, died Jan. 3, 2011.
He was a retired security guard
for the Internal Revenue Service.
His wife, Betty Lou Centers, died
previously.
Survivors include his daughter,
Debbie Schwierjohann.

Barbara Ellen Combs

Barbara Ellen Combs, 66, of Taylor Mill, died Jan. 27, 2011, at St.
Elizabeth Florence.
She was a clerk with American
Insurance Company and a member
of Keturah Church of God, Newport.
A son, Jamie Lee Combs, died
previously.
Survivors include son, Donnie
Combs of Bellevue; daughter, Brenda Beck of Independence; sisters,
Joyce Kraft of Taylor Mill and Lydia
Smiley of Florida; and two grandchildren.
Interment was in Riverside
Cemetery, Falmouth.

William R. Cox

William R. Cox, 81, of Fort
Thomas, died Jan. 23, 2011, at St.
Elizabeth Fort Thomas.
He was a member of First Baptist Church of Fort Thomas, the Fort
Thomas Masonic Lodge No. 808
and the Scottish Rite, Covington.
He was an inspector for the Ford
Motor Company, Sharonville, and a
U.S. Air Force Korean conflict veteran.
A sister, Ruth Peelman, died previously.
Survivors include his wife,
Dorothy Plummer Cox; daughter,
Julie Rosenhagen of Alexandria;
brothers, David Cox of Alexandria
and Leonard Cox of Orlando, Fla.;
and sister, Rebecca Weber of Independence.
Burial was in Butler Cemetery.

Ohlen A. Davis

Ohlen A. Davis, 57, of Verona,
died Jan. 16, 2011, at his residence.
He was retired from the Kentucky
Department of Transportation.
Survivors include his brother,
Gray Davis of Covington; and sisters, Sharon Arrasmith of Florence
and Debbie Atha of Verona.
Burial was in New Bethel Cemetery, Verona.
Memorials: American Cancer
Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma
City, OK 73123.

Rose Louise Exeler, 97, of Taylor
Mill, died Jan. 28, 2011, at Woodcrest Manor Nursing Home,
Elsmere.
She was a member of Independence Christian Church.
Her husband, George Howard
Exeler, died previously.
Survivors include sons, Bill Exeler
of Florence and Bob Exeler of Walton; four grandchildren; six greatgrandchildren; and six great-great-

Grace Ann Wilburn Hankinson,
75, of Independence, died Jan. 27,
2011, at St. Elizabeth Edgewood.
She was a former deli clerk for
Cherokee I.G.A., Independence and
a member of Big Bone Baptist
Church, Union. She enjoyed collecting Elvis memorabilia and watching
reality TV programs.
Survivors include her husband,
Marshall Donald Hankinson of Independence; sons, Norm Mayfield and
Donald Hankinson, both of Independence; sister, Ann Benecke of Warsaw; six grandchildren; and one
great-grandchild.
Interment was at Independence
Cemetery.

Frank “Pop” J. Hutchinson, 92,
of Independence, died Jan. 26,
2011, at his residence.
He was a retired from Philadelphia Dressed Beef after 27 years
and was a maintenance worker at
Philadelphia International for 10
years. He was a member of St.
Patrick’s Church, Irish Rovers at St.
Patrick’s, Independence Lion’s Club,
Independence Senior Citizen’s and
Holy Name League at St. Monica’s
Church in Philadelphia.
His wife, Mary Altamuro Hutchinson, and a sister, Mary Miscewiez,
died previously.
Survivors include his daughter,
Maria Lukas-Asbury of Indepen-

Gary Lee Russell, 64, of Fairborn,
Ohio, formerly of Covington, died
Jan. 25, 2011, at his home.
He served in the U.S. Air Force
and retired from Wright Patterson
Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. He
was a trustee of the American
Legion Post No. 526 in Fairborn.
His father, Bill Russell, died previously.
Survivors include his mother, Mildred Russell; brother, Scott Russell;
and sisters, Elaine Soward,
Charleen Steinborn and Diane
Warth.
Memorials: First Christian

Beginning February 1,
Kenzie’s Closet will be accepting
donations for gently worn dresses,
wraps, jewelry and new shoes at any
Appearance Plus Cleaners.

Survivors include his son, Kyle
Napier of Independence; stepdaughter, Danielle Smith of Independence; parents, Robert and Judy
Napier of Covington; sister, Lesa
Napier of Covington; and brother,
David Napier of Covington.
Interment was in Floral Hills.
Memorials: Kyle Napier Scholarship Fund.

Tom and Karen Nolan of
Independence, KY are
pleased to announce the
of
their
engagement
daughter, Amanda Renee
Nolan to Chad Robert
Huth, son of Chuck and
Rita Huth of Taylor Mill,
KY. Amanda is a graduate of Holy Cross High
School and is currently attending Northern Kentucky University. She is
scheduled to graduate in
May, 2011 with a Nursing
degree. She is currently
employed at Cincinnati
Childrens Hospital Medical
Center . Chad is also a
graduate of Holy Cross
High School and Northern
Kentucky University. He
is currently a full-time
Firefighter and Paramedic
for the City of Taylor Mill .
A wedding date has been
set for May 26, 2012.

Manuel “Ray” Spencer, 70, of
Independence, died Jan. 27, 2011,
at St. Elizabeth Florence.
He was a retired history teacher
at Twenhofel Middle School.
His wife, Barbara Crum Spencer,
died previously.
Survivors include his daughter,
Jennifer Spencer Kelly of Independence; mother, Irene Smith of Covington; brother, Lowell Spencer of
Walton; four grandchildren; and one
great-grandchild.
Internment was at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery North,
Williamstown.

Harold Preston Tillett

Harold Preston Tillett, 88, of
Independence, died Jan. 27, 2011,
at St. Elizabeth Edgewood.
He was a retired supervisor and
technical instructor for the General
Electric Company where he was
employed for 38 years. He was an
active member of Hickory Grove
Baptist Church as deacon emeritus,
trustee and a Sunday school
teacher. He was a member of the
Latonia Masonic Lodge No. 746,
the Indra Consistory, Scottish Rite,
Covington. He served on the Independence City Council for 10 years
and the Independence Zoning
Board of Adjustment for 15 years.
He was a U.S. Air Force World War
II veteran, Kentucky Colonel and
Admiral.
Survivors include his wife, Beulah
“Boots” Hayes Tillett; daughters,
Lyndia Gayle Bingham of Crittenden, Patsy Jean Raleigh of Hebron
and Carolyn Sue Burkhardt of
Austin, Texas; five grandchildren;
and six great-grandchildren.
Burial was at Highland Cemetery,
Fort Mitchell.
Memorials: Hickory Grove Baptist
Church Building Fund, 11969 Taylor
Mill Road, Independence, KY
41051.

William ‘Bill’ Tobergte

William E. “Bill” Tobergte, 73, of
Independence, died Jan. 29, 2011,
at St. Elizabeth Edgewood.
He was a microbiologist for
Wiedemann Brewery, Newport, and
general manager of Rose Exterminators, Cincinnati.
Survivors include his son, Dan
Tobergte of Hebron; daughters,
Diane Tuemler of Edgewood, Susan
Kolkmeier of Hebron, Sandy Smith
of Edgewood and Sharon Harrison
of St. Clairsville, Ohio; brothers,
Albert Tobergte of Erlanger and
Connie Tobergte and John
Tobergte, both of Petersburg; 20
grandchildren; and dear friend, Gina
Casey of Erlanger.
Burial was in St. John Cemetery,
Fort Mitchell.
Memorials: Bill Tobergte Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o St. Henry
District High School, 3755 Scheben
Drive, Erlanger, KY 41018; or Redwood School, 71 Orphanage Road,
Fort Mitchell, KY 41017.